Can You overseed alfalfa grass seed?
Seeding grass with alfalfa can boost yield and drying rate while keeping animals healthy. Only keep stands three to four years. Don’t overseed competitive grasses. Broadcast seed perennial forages and drill small grains and Italian/annual ryegrass.
Should I kill the old alfalfa stand before seeding?
If alfalfa must follow alfalfa, the best choice is to kill the old alfalfa in the year prior to seeding. The degree of toxicity is directly related to the amount of time between killing the old stand and establishing the new stand. If alfalfa must be planted in the same year an old stand is killed, a late-summer seeding represents the best option.
How much does it cost to overseed alfalfa per acre?
Overseeding other forages into a winterkilled or depleted alfalfa stand can be a fairly economical practice in comparison to re-establishment of alfalfa or rotation to a field crop. As shown in Table 4, seed costs may be only $5.00 – 16.00 per acre.
Does alfalfa suppress the growth of new seedlings?
Third, alfalfa produces autotoxins that reduce development of seedling plants, and so suppress growth of young alfalfa seedlings in existing stands. However, this can work under some circumstances which we will discuss.
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Can you overseed alfalfa into grass?
Grasses typically will typically overtake the alfalfa over time. Thus overseeding alfalfa into existing alfalfa can work in some cases, but is fraught with risk.
Can you overseed alfalfa into alfalfa?
1. For least risk, wait at least one year before reseeding alfalfa into a field previously in alfalfa. 2. At a minimum, do not reseed alfalfa into a previous alfalfa field until at least two weeks after destroying the previous alfalfa stand using tillage.
Can you overseed a pasture with alfalfa?
4:576:32Seeding Alfalfa into Established Pasture with Zero-Till OpenersYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo our conclusions from this project was that all of these common commonly available 0 till openersMoreSo our conclusions from this project was that all of these common commonly available 0 till openers for annual crops worked well for seeding alfalfa into grass sod and doing pasture rejuvenation the
Does alfalfa reseed itself?
Alfalfa is a crop that naturally tends to lessen its density over time because alfalfa doesn't reseed itself. Planting more alfalfa into current alfalfa fields is not recommended since alfalfa has autotoxicity characteristics. A good population/density is about 35 well-growing stems per square foot.
How often do you need to reseed alfalfa?
Recommended intervals of six or twelve months were most frequently reported, but the range was two weeks to 24 months. Many respondents commented that their most common recommendation was to reseed alfalfa after rotation with a non-legume crop grown for one or more seasons.
Is alfalfa or clover better for deer?
They are also more resistant to insects and if you have plenty of deer, they take overgrazing pressure better and rebound faster. Alfalfa is another good clover option. It's also a perennial and offers many of the advantages of red and white clover, but alfalfa is hardier and more drought resistant.
What grass should I plant with alfalfa?
Desired alfalfa/grass mixes can be maintained by picking appropriate grass species and varieties. Timothy and smooth bromegrass tend to produce too much forage in the spring but little the rest of the year so we recommend mixing either orchardgrass, tall fescue, or mea- dow fescue with alfalfa.
How many pounds to the acre Do you seed alfalfa?
Seeding rates should be between 12 and 15 pounds per acre. Prescribed seeding rates are designed to provide several times the seed needed to achieve optimal yield under ideal growing conditions. Seeding rates above 15 pounds per acre have no positive impact on yield (Table 3).
Does alfalfa grow back every year?
A: Yes, alfalfa is a perennial and will grow back every year as long as it receives the proper care. Overall, it is an easy crop to grow.
What happens if you don't cut alfalfa?
Once your alfalfa does receive enough rain for regrowth it might regrow a little faster if it's cut, but it also will regrow following sufficient rain without cutting. In most cases, it's not worth the cost and time involved to shred, clip, or harvest low-yielding hay.
What do you plant after alfalfa?
The best rotational crops following alfalfa are cereal crops and annual forage grasses. Small grains can benefit from nitrogen released after alfalfa is plowed. Corn and sorghum could also follow alfalfa in those areas where rainfall is adequate or where irrigation is available.
How do you increase alfalfa production?
Nitrogen can help increase stand establishment and potential yield in the seeding year. Phosphorus encourages good root growth during stand establishment. Potassium helps to maintain yield potential and stand longevity. Alfalfa has also been shown to be responsive to sulfur.
What to use to grow alfalfa?
If you're interested in improving your alfalfa stand, try overseeding with grass forages such as orchardgrass, high quality fescue or ryegrass, oat hay or berseem clover. This is a lot less risky than seeding alfalfa into alfalfa, and has been a highly successful practice.
What to do with overseeding grass?
Consider overseeding grasses or clovers to extend the life of the stand and create a ‘mostly grass' hay product.
Do alfalfa seedlings persist?
In all three situations, the alfalfa seedlings did not persist long-term (See Figure 2 ). There was a little more survival in open areas, but after 2 years, even these seedlings did not persist, and the stand was once again disappointing.
Is alfalfa a perennial?
Maybe, but it's a high risk practice for several reasons. First, alfalfa is a slow growing perennial and has a hard time competing with existing plants (1,000 x its size) and weeds for light, nutrients, and water. Additionally, soils in established fields are not conducive to germination.
Is alfalfa a hazard?
Just as thinning hair is a hazard for humans, a thin alfalfa stand is a common hazard of getting old!
Can you oversee alfalfa?
Thus overseeding alfalfa into existing alfalfa can work in some cases, but is fraught with risk.
What is overseeding alfalfa?
Overseeding is a method by which other forage species are introduced into an established alfalfa stand.
Who is the author of Seeding into an Existing Alfalfa Stand?
Seeding into an Existing Alfalfa Stand. by Rhonda Gildersleeve, Dan Undersander, and Tim Wood.
What harvest practices are recommended?
Forage from overseeded fields should be harvested at the appropriate stage for desired tonnage and quality and may be put up as greenchop, haylage, baleage or dry hay, depending on harvest conditions. Early harvest of cereals and annual grasses (prior to boot stage) will maximize quality and encourage a second cutting. Perennial grasses are usually harvested slightly later as they will need a longer initial establishment period.
How many plants per ft of alfalfa?
Research suggests that the benefits of overseeding on yield are not seen unless the alfalfa stand is less than 5 plants/ft 2 or 40 stems/ft 2 (1). Older alfalfa stands that carry a heavy weed load of species such as dandelion or quackgrass may be better candidates for rotation to another crop rather than for overseeding to extend the stand life.
Can Sudangrass be planted in silage?
Sudangrass alone produces somewhat lower yields and quality, but can be an emergency choice for land that could not be planted to corn silage soon enough after alfalfa winterkill was observed or after removal of an early first crop (2).
Can you extend the life of an alfalfa stand?
Research from other states also suggests that overseeding other forages into alfalfa has potential to extend stand life one or more growing seasons, and can be considered as an alternative when economics or conservation planning require maintenance of the current thin alfalfa stand (1).
Can you harvest red clover?
Red clover can be harvested at the same times that one would harvest alfalfa to obtain highest quality. One disadvantage of red clover is that it cures to a dark brown/black color, which some producers find visually undesirable.
How to get alfalfa to go?
The best way to get alfalfa going is from scratch. If you were really determined to have alfalfa in this situation (and given that you cannot plow) you would have to spray and kill the existing stand and establish alfalfa or an alfalfa-grass mix into the residue with a no-till drill. If this were not a permanent pasture and ...
How long does it take for alfalfa to recover from a graze?
Alfalfa requires longer rest periods than other species, averaging 30 days . If you were going to graze a mix that includes alfalfa, you would have to have a strict rotational grazing system in place to allow for the recovery time alfalfa needs.
How to introduce legumes to pasture?
One of the best ways to introduce legumes to a pasture is frost-seeding – broadcasting the seed onto a thin pasture in late winter, at a time when the ground will be freezing overnight and thawing during the day . This frost heaving action helps work the seeds into the ground and improve seed-to-soil contact, so they are ready to establish as soon as the soil warms up in the spring. It’s also considered more economical than no-till drilling. Alfalfa seeds are larger than clover seeds, which have the ideal small, round shape for this application, and again they get off to a slower start – not a good thing in the midst of the spring growth flush.
What is the best pasture for sheep?
In terms of the overall quality of the pasture, legumes aren’t the only consideration. Make sure you’re choosing high quality genetics and improved grass products. Many species, like soft-leaf, endophyte-free or –friendly tall fescue, perennial ryegrasses, and orchardgrass can be excellent feed high in energy and digestible fiber, if they are managed correctly and grazed before heading. Chicory also works well in a mix for sheep. If you have a good mix of a handful of different species, individual species will express themselves and shine – in growth and high nutritional quality – at various times throughout the year.
Which is better, clover or alfalfa?
A: Clover is a better choice in this situation than alfalfa, for several reasons. In planting alfalfa, it’s usually more economical to start fresh with conventional tillage and seedbed preparation. Alfalfa seed runs more expensive than clover , and the seedlings are slow starters and easily outcompeted by already established species. So you would get mixed-to-poor results for the money spent in trying to interseed alfalfa. Although they are not as drought tolerant, a mix of red and white clovers would be a better choice of legume. Their summer productivity will still be strong and the taproot system is also good for mining water and nutrients during drier times. They can also tolerate wetter soils than alfalfa.
Is red clovers drought tolerant?
Although they are not as drought tolerant, a mix of red and white clovers would be a better choice of legume. Their summer productivity will still be strong and the taproot system is also good for mining water and nutrients during drier times. They can also tolerate wetter soils than alfalfa.
Do grass pastures have a lower pH?
Be sure to pay attention to your soil tests – many grass pastures naturally have a lower soil pH and phosphorus level than would be ideal for legumes. Maintaining the balance of species that you want will mean continuing to monitor soil fertility levels, and paying attention to grazing heights. Shorter grazing often favors legumes.
What are the benefits of seeding grass with alfalfa?
Benefits of seeding grass with alfalfa. Higher yields with faster drying times. More persistent crop through the winter. Weed and erosion control. Grasses have more digestible fiber than alfalfa. Seeding grass with alfalfa can boost yield and drying rate while keeping animals healthy.
What is the best way to seed alfalfa grass?
Broadcast seeding is likely the best method for seeding alfalfa-grass mixes. This is especially true when using bunch grasses to provide more even cover. Broadcast perennial forages.
Why do weeds show up in perennial forages?
Weeds show up in perennial forages if bare soil is present for too long. Some grasses help to quickly cover soil during the seeding year. Many grasses also provide long-term cover, particularly if the grass is a sod-former or if you broadcast seed the grass. Small grain companion crops can control erosion.
Which is better, grass or alfalfa?
Grasses catch snow and insulate better than alfalfa alone.
When to apply manure to seed?
Manure is a great fertility source when you apply it prior to seeding or right after cutting.
When is the best time to plant alfalfa?
Since alfalfa-grass mixtures have few herbicide options, August may be the best time to seed if soil moisture is ideal. There’s less weed competition during late summer than spring. Plus sign (+) if content is closed, 'X' if content is open. Swath width.
Does grass alfalfa cause bloat?
Grass-alfalfa mixes are less likely to cause bloat than pure alfalfa when grazed.
Why do plants produce alfalfa?
Plants produce these compounds to help “carve out” a space for themselves and reduce competition from other plants for water, nutrients and light. Alfalfa is a plant species that exhibits autotoxicity. There are a number of potentially autotoxic chemicals produced by alfalfa, one of which is called medicarpin.
How does autotoxicity affect plants?
Autotoxicity affects the development of the seedling root system. Toxins inhibit the ability of the root radicle to elongate. This results in reduced seedling emergence. Emerged plants are stunted and may show purpling because of their inability to take up adequate amounts of phosphorus. Surviving plants will develop a secondary root system that is shallow and more highly branched than that of an unaffected plant. This smaller root system reduces the plant’s ability to take up water and nutrients. This affect will persist throughout the life of the plant. Stands affected by autotoxicity during the seedling year will have reduced yields not only in that year but in subsequent years as well. Studies in Missouri and elsewhere have documented reduced yields up to three years after stand establishment.
Does alfalfa have autotoxicity?
The age of the existing alfalfa stand will affect autotoxicity. Younger plants (those one year old or less) contain less toxin than older plants. This means that failed seedings or even new seedings that winterkill can be seeded back to alfalfa with little yield reduction.
Can you interseed alfalfa?
Given this, along with the potential for weed competition, interseeding alfalfa to thicken alfalfa stands is not likely to be successful and is not recommended. An exception would be large dead areas, such as from ice sheeting, or failed new seedings where only young plants (less than one year old) are present.
Is alfalfa a toxic plant?
There are a number of potentially autotoxic chemicals produced by alfalfa, one of which is called medicarpin. This compound is present throughout the plant but is more concentrated in top growth than roots. It is a water soluble compound that leaches readily into the soil from both decomposing plant material and growing plants.
Can alfalfa be grown with alfalfa?
In certain instances such as after a failed seeding, winterkill or in an attempt to thicken thinning stands, producers may be interested in following alfalfa with alfalfa. This practice has met with varied success due primarily to compounds produced by older alfalfa plants, which inhibit the growth of young seedlings. This process is known as autotoxicity. In this Focus on Forage, we will discuss what causes autotoxicity, factors that affect it, and ways to reduce the effect.
Does tillage affect soil?
Tillage affects the level of toxin in the soil.
What factors are considered when planting alfalfa?
Factors to be considered when planning are temperature, rainfall pattern, weed pressure, and time of year when environmental conditions are optimum for the seedling germination and crop emergence. Unfortunately, no single time period will fulfill all these conditions satisfactorily. Benefits and drawbacks of each time period need to be considered by the producer.
How cold can alfalfa be?
Alfalfa is extremely cold tolerant at emergence and this can give a false sense of security, but as the plant develops to two trifoliate leaves, frost sensitivity becomes greater and it may be killed by exposure to 26 degrees F for as little as 4 hours until it reaches the three trifoliate leaf stage. SPRING PLANTING.
How long does it take for Alfalfa to grow?
Alfalfa requires a minimum of six weeks after germination, and before a killing frost to ensure survival. At least four trifoliate leaves and the formation of a crown are necessary for winter survival.
Is alfalfa tolerant of high water table?
Alfalfa, during growth, is not tolerant of a high water table that could drown it out. Equally as important is that the site receive enough water for successful growth. Sandy to clay loamy soils are best. Sand dominated or clay dominated soils will pose problems to water management. MIDSUMMER PLANTING.
Can alfalfa be planted in the spring?
Fields may be difficult to enter into due to wet soils, but alfalfa may be planted as soon as danger of spring frost has passed. Summer weed competition can be alleviated by planting with an annual companion crop such as oats. Alfalfa, during growth, is not tolerant of a high water table that could drown it out.
